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So there is absolutely no evidence this woman, whom you called a slut, did this but you are ready to take someone's word as evidence. Guess you don't think witch hunts have to end when it's going after the certain people.

Up until the governor got involved, the police continued to be a cause of the problem on an ongoing basis, for example the arrests of reporters and at least one alderman.

I heard of it, but don't really know the details. I assume though that they were covering the violence. Get into that mix and things happened unfortunately. If you have a link, I would like to learn more about the incident in question.

Originally Posted by TacticalEvilDan

You are ignoring the fact that there hasn't been an ongoing riot, whereas if the situation had degenerated into pure chaos you'd have a point. Otherwise, in the shared hallucination that is police authority, you do have to be mindful of the times where the equipment you bring and the tactics you use risk making the problem worse rather than being simple preparation.

Have there been any of these peaceful protest that have gotten the Birmingham treatment a la the 1960's? If there was, then you'd have a point. Also, a gun isn't going to take away your freedoms, the man behind it might though. Let me put it you this way, if all the cops that were there were constitutional scholars and just so happened to be wearing that that equipment, would you be as concerned? Of course not, because you know they will respect your rights. On the flip side, let's talk about young hot shots that are itching to abuse authority armed with just a baton, does it make it any less of an abuse of authority because he chooses to do so with just a baton?

What's your skin color and gender? I want to make a reference to them every single time I respond to something you post, even when skin color and gender have nothing whatsoever to do with the subject being discussed.

You gotta admit though, if you were governor and needed to send someone in, are you going to be sending in a white guy in an issue rife with accusations of racism?

Again how did police deal with riots in the days before they had all that surplus army hardware?

They didn't. The army came in and fired live rounds into the crowd.

Originally Posted by americanwoman

So there is absolutely no evidence this woman, whom you called a slut, did this but you are ready to take someone's word as evidence. Guess you don't think witch hunts have to end when it's going after the certain people.

I heard of it, but don't really know the details. I assume though that they were covering the violence. Get into that mix and things happened unfortunately. If you have a link, I would like to learn more about the incident in question.

There's a lot more where that came from, Google is your friend. The short is that the reporters were off the street and minding their own business when the cops rolled up, and the alderman -- an elected official -- was capturing pictures and footage of the protests.

Originally Posted by Hamster Buddha

Have there been any of these peaceful protest that have gotten the Birmingham treatment a la the 1960's? If there was, then you'd have a point. Also, a gun isn't going to take away your freedoms, the man behind it might though. Let me put it you this way, if all the cops that were there were constitutional scholars and just so happened to be wearing that that equipment, would you be as concerned? Of course not, because you know they will respect your rights.

Of course I would be as concerned. The problem isn't whether or not I'm afraid that the man with the gun understands my rights and his responsibilities, it's the fact that he's responding to understandable anger and frustration with military equipment. That kind of response shows a failure to understand what the appropriate response to the situation is, regardless of whether or not my rights are understood.

Originally Posted by Hamster Buddha

IOn the flip side, let's talk about young hot shots that are itching to abuse authority armed with just a baton, does it make it any less of an abuse of authority because he chooses to do so with just a baton?

Obviously not. That kind of response shows a failure to understand what the appropriate response to the situation is.